FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Little Giant 89]

The size of these guys relative to the fellas that were there when I was a student is just incredible.

[sigma one]

Wabash was big enough to go toe to toe with the NCAC this year.  I believe the big issue was speed.  Both the offensive and defensive lines were heavy footed.  In the past the defensive line and linebackers could run, and were as quick as they were fast.  Not so this year.  When Wabash lost Oliver Page early in the year, they had no reliable deep threat.  Not that they tried to throw it deep that much, anyway.  The ground and pound will work against the teams that cannot match up physically.   Against the teams that had good fronts, not so much.  They just crowded the LOS and stopped or slowed down almost everything between the tackles. 
     As to the NCAC as a whole,  I posted some time back that the teams clustered toward the middle, with the exceptions of Hiram and Kenyon--although Hiram gave Wabash all the LGs could handle.  Denison did not perform as expected, losing to the top of the conference, not managing to beat any of the big three.
DPU was blown out by Witt.  Wabash lost to a 5-5 OWU.  There was a lot of scoring, not much defense to slow good offenses down.  This clustering is a good indicator of the mediocrity of most teams.
     Then Witt, which ran the table with the only close game vs. Wabash (21-14), got smacked by Frostburg St.
Several posters referenced that this was the Tiger's worst game, and based on the score this is true.  But, despite Witt's dominance in the NCAC, in my view they did not impress me as one of their better teams. 
     All in all, a mediocre year for the NCAC.  When the conference winner can advance beyond the first round in the playoffs, the league looks OK to strong.  This year, 35-7, makes a statement about the lack of ability at the top.     
     .   

[Mr. Ypsi]

Wabash was big enough to go toe to toe with the NCAC this year.  I believe the big issue was speed.  Both the offensive and defensive lines were heavy footed.  In the past the defensive line and linebackers could run, and were as quick as they were fast.  Not so this year.  When Wabash lost Oliver Page early in the year, they had no reliable deep threat.  Not that they tried to throw it deep that much, anyway.  The ground and pound will work against the teams that cannot match up physically.   Against the teams that had good fronts, not so much.  They just crowded the LOS and stopped or slowed down almost everything between the tackles. 
     As to the NCAC as a whole,  I posted some time back that the teams clustered toward the middle, with the exceptions of Hiram and Kenyon--although Hiram gave Wabash all the LGs could handle.  Denison did not perform as expected, losing to the top of the conference, not managing to beat any of the big three.
DPU was blown out by Witt.  Wabash lost to a 5-5 OWU.  There was a lot of scoring, not much defense to slow good offenses down.  This clustering is a good indicator of the mediocrity of most teams.
     Then Witt, which ran the table with the only close game vs. Wabash (21-14), got smacked by Frostburg St.
Several posters referenced that this was the Tiger's worst game, and based on the score this is true.  But, despite Witt's dominance in the NCAC, in my view they did not impress me as one of their better teams. 
     All in all, a mediocre year for the NCAC.  When the conference winner can advance beyond the first round in the playoffs, the league looks OK to strong.  This year, 35-7, makes a statement about the lack of ability at the top.     
     .   

I sense you meant this the way my family says I use the word in describing restaurant meals - i.e., it stunk!

I, too, like to be diplomatic in my criticisms.

[Little Giant 89]

Happy Thanksgiving!

[wally_wabash]

Wabash was big enough to go toe to toe with the NCAC this year.  I believe the big issue was speed.  Both the offensive and defensive lines were heavy footed.  In the past the defensive line and linebackers could run, and were as quick as they were fast.  Not so this year.  When Wabash lost Oliver Page early in the year, they had no reliable deep threat.  Not that they tried to throw it deep that much, anyway.  The ground and pound will work against the teams that cannot match up physically.   Against the teams that had good fronts, not so much.  They just crowded the LOS and stopped or slowed down almost everything between the tackles. 
     As to the NCAC as a whole,  I posted some time back that the teams clustered toward the middle, with the exceptions of Hiram and Kenyon--although Hiram gave Wabash all the LGs could handle.  Denison did not perform as expected, losing to the top of the conference, not managing to beat any of the big three.
DPU was blown out by Witt.  Wabash lost to a 5-5 OWU.  There was a lot of scoring, not much defense to slow good offenses down.  This clustering is a good indicator of the mediocrity of most teams.
     Then Witt, which ran the table with the only close game vs. Wabash (21-14), got smacked by Frostburg St.
Several posters referenced that this was the Tiger's worst game, and based on the score this is true.  But, despite Witt's dominance in the NCAC, in my view they did not impress me as one of their better teams. 
     All in all, a mediocre year for the NCAC.  When the conference winner can advance beyond the first round in the playoffs, the league looks OK to strong.  This year, 35-7, makes a statement about the lack of ability at the top.     
     .   

I sense you meant this the way my family says I use the word in describing restaurant meals - i.e., it stunk!

I, too, like to be diplomatic in my criticisms.

Honestly, overall, I think the league was better than it has been recently.  Allegheny continues to improve, OWU won at Wabash, Kenyon nearly got DePauw, Oberlin had a much better season than I thought they would.  Wooster was a lot better.  The league went 8-2 in the nonconference part of the season which is unheard of.  Certainly the teams at the top of the league were not as good in 2017 as they have been.  I think there was less also-ran-ishness in the league this year, which is a thing that I think we've wanted.  It's fair to say the league champion wasn't as strong, but I don't think that's necessarily an indictment of the league overall. 

Looking ahead I think in order to get back to a spot where the league champion can win playoff games, Witt and Wabash have to improve their offenses in general.  Witt and Wabash were both young offenses this season, so I expect improvement there based on experience alone.  DePauw is lingering around out there, and while their offense tends to be good, they're also killing their QBs.  I don't think QB power is a sustainable thing.  I think DePauw also has work to do on the back end of their defense, but they aren't real far off. 

So all in all, the top wasn't quite as good, but the middle and bottom of the league I thought was significantly better this year.  Most teams in the league have gone all in with their offenses and it's showing.  One slow day by any team's defense and you're probably going to get lit up.  There's definitely less tolerance for an "off" day by any team right now than any time I can remember in the last 12-15 years in the NCAC. 

[sigma one]

Based on the cluster in the middle of the conference, it might be that the league was better this year.  I tend to think that the cluster means that there were more average teams; some a bit better, some a bit worse than in the past.  Generally speaking, it's better for the competitive level of the NCAC if more teams are a threat on any given Saturday.  Recall, though, that Oberlin beat Wabash in 2012 (as did Allegheny).  These things will happen from time to time.  Even last year, and I know they finished 8-2, Denison upset Witt.
     Trying to assess the overall quality of most of the teams, it appears to me that offenses were generally better and defenses generally worse.  Admittedly, it's hard to tell if defenses only appeared worse because the offenses were better.  Or offenses appeared better because defenses were worse.  One could argue either side.  I tend to come down on the offenses were better side.  Every team in the conference except OWU scored 50+ points at least once.  So there's that. 
     The OOC results were indeed impressive.  For the first time in a long time OOC scheduling worked out in favor of the NCAC.  It's hard to know when you are scheduling two and three years out what an opponent is going to be when the games are played.  For instance, when Wabash scheduled Albion several years ago, Albion had playoff-caliber teams.  The last two years--though they played Wabash tough--they finished 1-9 and 4-6.
     Of the OOC teams this year, Westminister (beaten by Wittenberg) finished 7-3; none of the others finished better than 6-4 (Mt St Joseph, Otterbein, Southwestern).  Going into the season, many thought Witt/Westminster would be a good test for both teams;  turned out, it was.  Ott beat OWU; DePauw beat Mt St Joe; Denison defeated Southwestern  The other six  OOC foes finished a combined 12-38
     On the whole, the NCAC managed to schedule appropriate opponents for their level of competition.  The schedule worked out well:  Hiram/Earlham, Oberlin/Kalamazoo, Allegheny/Thiel, Wooster/Bluffton--all wins.  Only Kenyon, playing Sewanee, was a loss--and that too was an appropriate match based on the history of the two schools' football programs.
     Wally, I appreciate your take on the season and the conference.  I see it differently in terms of what the outcomes mean for the NCAC.  I am excited to see what happens next year when so many good players return on offense, including the QBs Lee, Labus (maybe, probably,) Gebele, Merkle, Taylor, Kennedy.  And also some sterling running backs and receivers.
     If the defenses can improve, and the conference winner can do better in the playoffs, then I will be more positive about the NCAC.  (What I will readily concede is the conference can be better as a whole while the league champion can be weaker.  Maybe that was the case this year.)
     
       

[Little Giant 89]

Merry Christmas, Fellas!

[Bishopleftiesdad]

And a joyous Christmas to you and yours.

[MUC57]

Wally Wabash

Hope you have a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2018. You're one of a small group on these boards that I look to for your analysis on things Dlll football. Best to Wabash as they get back up to where they should be. "See" you in August!

[Little Giant 89]

Robby Gossett, a 6-4, 275lb center from Triton Central is coming to Wabash.

http://www.shelbynews.com/sports/sports.php?ID=1354

[aueagle]

LG coach Jeff Ramsey was spotted in Chagrin Falls, Ohio (eastern suburb of Cleveland) last week having breakfast.
Recruiting talent rich NE Ohio? My sister told me this, so the intel maybe in suspect because she wouldn't know a football if it landed in her hands.

[Little Giant 89]

LG coach Jeff Ramsey was spotted in Chagrin Falls, Ohio (eastern suburb of Cleveland) last week having breakfast.
Recruiting talent rich NE Ohio? My sister told me this, so the intel maybe in suspect because she wouldn't know a football if it landed in her hands.

Your sister doesn't know football, but she's able to ID the Wabash D-coordinator?

I think you underestimate your sister.

[aueagle]

She was at the table next to him & overheard his conversation. She did ask if he was at Wabash & he told her his wife was from the area.
She was more interested in her eggs & toast.

[smedindy]

He did coach at Oberlin for a while, so I'm not surprised.

[sigma one]

Quite a few OOC match ups posted on DIII   

          ALL-------------RPI   (9/1)
          DEN------------not yet posted
          DPU------------Central (9/1)
          HIR------------not yet posted, but open with WAB on 9/1; odd early NCAC game
          KEN------------Sewanee (9/1)
          OBE----------- Kalamazoo (9/1)
          OWU-----------Otterbein (9/1)
          WAB-----------UW Stevens Point (9/8),  opener v. Hiram (9/1)
          WIT-----------Westminster (9/1)
          WOO----------Bluffton (9/1)

     RPI, Central, and Stevens Point are all new opponents; all are teams from other regions.  Cool.  Anyone know about whom Denison and Hiram may face?  Is Denison going to Southwestern for the second of a two-game series?  Do Hiram and Earlham meet again?